1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dough manipulation apparatus and is concerned with dough manipulation apparatus for use with biscuit cutting machines.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Traditional methods of the manufacture of biscuits on an industrial scale involve the production of a continuous sheet of dough. The dough is usually mixed in batches which are then deposited in the hopper of a dough sheeting unit or `sheeter`. The dough mass is drawn from the hopper down through rollers so as to form a continuous sheet which is then conveyed to the biscuit cutting machine where the required forms of biscuits are cut from the sheet. The biscuit forms are then conveyed to an oven. The remainder of the dough sheet, being `scrap`, is usually returned to the hopper of the sheeter for reprocessing.
Various types of biscuit product can be made from dough that has been sheeted in this manner. Dependent upon the type of product to be produced, the dough consistency will vary from a soft, relatively inelastic material to one of a relatively tough, springy, elastic consistency. Additionally, in order to produce a product with particular characteristics it is beneficial and, for some products, necessary to produce a laminated dough sheet.
The lamination process involves the production of a laminate formed by several separate sheets laid one on top of the other. This process enables the option of depositing a fat/flour mixture between the sheets. However, many biscuit products benefit from the lamination process without the inclusion of deposits between the sheets.